Split Pea Soup & Ham Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

How do you make split pea soup less bland? ›

Add a bit of lemon zest to make those peas really sing. You can try the fresh pea approach with your favorite split pea soup recipe, but this super traditional, easy version is an Epicurious favorite.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

If you want a smooth soup, puree with an immersion blender. If you were short on peas, you can thicken with a slurry—a raw starch such as rice flour or cornstarch mixed with water, then whisked into the soup. The soup needs to come to a boil for the starch to gelatinize.

Split peas do not need to be soaked before cooking, however soaking them can provide additional benefits such as reducing the bloating and gas that some people experience from eating legumes and beans.

Ham - We'll be leftover diced ham so this is a great recipe to make with your leftovers from a holiday dinner. Vegetables - Onion, carrot, celery, and garlic are key to any great soup and this one is no exception! Seasoning - Fresh thyme pairs perfectly with the peas to flavor the soup.

It is often made with ham which gives it this nice saltiness and smokiness; however, this recipe achieves a smoky flavor without the ham. There is no meat in this recipe, but the simple addition of a little bit of liquid smoke gives it the flavor of a more traditional recipe while keeping it vegetarian/vegan.

If you started the soup with broth, stock or water, I would wait until the end to add the cream. You can warm the cream, or “temper” it, which is what I do. Take about half a cup of the hot broth and slowly add your cream to that, stirring constantly.

I prefer my split pea thicker. However not thickened with traditional methods, the thickness of this soup comes from the cooking down of the split peas themselves. The longer you cook the pea occupied broth, the thicker the soup gets. This is a preference, so you choose your thickness.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

Using onions, garlic, and fresh spices like thyme will add flavor to the soup. The real trick to making a bland pea soup extra tasty is using a bone or ham hock in the soup during the cooking process. Chicken broth will also add flavor to the soup.

How much water do I use for 2 cups of split peas? ›

Cooking. Bring about 1.5 cups of water or broth to a boil for every cup of lentils or split peas. Add the lentils, allow water to return to boiling, reduce heat, partially cover pan, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the variety.

Old peas take much longer to cook. In fact, if your split peas remain hard even after a long cooking time, the likely cause is that your peas were old. Even if you recently bought them, it's hard to know how long they were sitting on the shelf at the store.

Yes, Pea is good for constipation. Pea is a rich source of fiber that might improve the bowel movement and relieve constipation. Pea also helps in the growth of intestinal bacteria. This helps to improve intestinal health[9].

While green peas do not cause many problems, dried peas which are split peas, have these side effects. Too many split peas can cause gas buildup in the stomach and cause discomfort. However, taking split peas in regulated quantities can help avoid gastric problems.

From a Western nutrition perspective, legumes, lentils, and split peas can cause bloating because of the oligosaccharides present. Oligosaccharides are small sugars that aren't actually digested by us.

(Bonus: all of the ingredients stay the same for Instant Pot split pea soup!). I love topping each bowl with crunchy sourdough croutons and a drizzle of olive oil for richness. You can also sprinkle each serving with fresh herbs, bacon bits, or pine nuts.

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.

Add acidic ingredients.

Foods that have a great deal of acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, white wine, and tomato puree, can help liven up the flavor of bland-tasting bone and other broths. "The acidity of these ingredients works to complement and enhance the broth's flavors, not mask it.